Many doctors are not familiar with myofascial pain and do
not treat trigger points. This is ironic since the science of Myofascial Pain
and Dysfunction, and Trigger Point treatment was first codified my Dr. Janet
Travell, physician to President John F. Kennedy and Dr. David Simons. They
pulled together the research of doctors from three continents conducted
throughout much of the 20th century in their landmark books Myofascial Pain and
Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual. These books were written by doctors, for
doctors.

Why, despite this,
don't more doctors diagnose and treat trigger points? Although recognition of
the field is growing, some of the reasons include:

• A lack of training in Trigger
Point Therapy is due to the immense amount of material a physician must learn
during undergraduate, medical school, internship and residency. Specialists will spend additional years of
study.

• There is a general lack of time
available for the doctor to spend with the patient. The practice of medicine is both an art and a
business. The time demand of physicians is immense. Comprehensive assessment,
including range of motion assessment, palpation for taut bands and trigger
points takes more time than is available in most physician practices.

• Currently, there is a lack of a
mechanism for compensation a physician’s time, given their training and
experience. Trigger point therapy is as expensive
as conventional medical care and is often not covered by insurance.